Development and Maintenance of Lawn and Turf

Compiled by: Md. Dulal Sarkar

Lecturer, Department of Horticulture
1. Definition Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

1.1. Lawn
A lawn is a stretch of land beautified and covered with perennial trimmed grasses. It
may be imagined as a carpeted floor and add accounts for 75 % beauty of the garden.
Examples: Bermuda grass, Zoysia grass, Axonopus grass, Kikuyu grass are very good
for lawns.

1.2. Turf
Turf is a piece of land beatified with thickly grown grass over it. Grass used on a
football field, cricket field, golf course is referred to as turf.
Examples: Centipede grass, Bahia grass, Saint Augustine grass, Poa grass, Festuca
grass, Agrostis grass, Lolium grass, Agrospyron grass are good for turf.

2. Importance of Lawn and Turf

1. It is used to beautify the rural and urban areas
2. It prevent soil erosion
3. It is used to stabilize the soil
4. It breaks the monotony and brings the integrity of garden components
5. It is a cushiony layer for players
6. It checks the environmental pollution
7. Increase the economic value of land

3. Establishment of a Lawn and Turf

3.1. Selection of Site
1. Open sunny places and preferably with little quantity of shade
2. Site should have ample quantity of water for irrigation
3. Free from hazards like grazing and use of pathways
4. Should not be under the tree canopy as the litter affects the quality of grass
5. Soil and water should be medium to good quality
6. Should have good drainage system
7. The soil should have a pH 5.5 to 6.0

3.2. Leveling
Properly leveled land is required for uniformity growth of grass and maintenance of
the area.

Page 1 of 6
3.3. Grading
Grading of ground is needed to get drainage away from the main area and if possible,
the slope should be 30 cm in l5 meters. From the center, not more than 15% slope.

3.4. Soil Preparation

Ploughing and spading is required to loosen the soil. Digging up to 30-45 cm depth is
very important. The soil should be exposed to the sun for l5-20 days. Clods should
break up and roots of the weeds, hard stones, rocks etc. should be removed. Organic
manures along with lime to be added into the soil and leveled properly.

3.5. Selection of Grasses

Botanical Name Common name Texture Situation
Cynodon dactylon Doob grass Medium fine open sunny location, drought resistant
Stenotaphrum secundatum St. Augustine Coarse shady situation
Sporobolus tremulus Chain grass Fine saline soils and open sunny locations
Poa annua blue grass Medium fine acid soils and higher elevations
Pennisetum clandestinum Kikuyu grass Rough acids soils, higher elevations
Zoisia japonica Japan grass Coarse open sunny situation, slow in growth
Zoisia matrella Manila grass Medium open sunny situation
Zoisia tenuifolia Korean grass Fine open sunny situation
Festuca sp. Fescue grass Coarse Shade tolerant
Paspalum vaginatum Paspalum grass Medium open sunny situation

3.5.1. Seed Constitution of Turf Grass

Seed should be pure, consisting of only one species or cultivar, or as blend. When a
mixture is chosen as planting material it should contain at least 50% of the desired
permanent species and 50% of other species of similar characteristics.
For an example- a species for beauty (50% bluegrass) + a species for toughness and,
disease and pest resistance (25% fescue) + a species for quick establishment and
durability (25% ryegrass).

3.6. Plants Suitable for Planting in Lawns

Trees Shrubs
Amherstia Agave
Bottlebrush Bougainvillea
Magmolia Jasmines
Monterey cypress Hibiscus
Pinus
Thuja
Araucaria

Page 2 of 6
3.7. Planting Methods
3.7.1. Planting in Lawn
The lawn can be prepared by any one of the following methods.

3.7.1.1. Sowing
About 30 kg of seed is required for planting one hectare. After seeding, the seeds are
to be covered with soil and leveled with light rolling. Sprinkling of water up to 4 cm
depth is suitable. Lawn mower is used when the grass grows up to 5 cm height.

3.7.1.2. Dibbling
Rooted or uprooted grass cuttings can be dibbled when the soil is slightly moist. The
dibbling may be done 10-12 cm apart and frequent watering should be done till the
grass starts sprouting. The grass gets ready for first cutting in 5-6 weeks. This method
takes about 4-5 months to establish a good lawn.

3.7.1.3. Turfing
Turfing is the process of planting thick grass to develop a lawn. Small pieces of turf
are cut uniformly from a place where the grass is short, compact and free from weeds.
The cut pieces are then placed on the prepared surface and, rolled and watered
liberally. This is one of the satisfactory and quickest methods of forming a lawn.

3.7.1.4 Turf plastering

Grass is chopped properly into small bits of 5-7 cm long. Two baskets of chopped
grass pieces should be mixed with one basket garden soil and fresh cow dung and a
shovel of wood ash with required quantity of water to form a thick pasty substance.
This mixture is then spread uniformly on the surface of a leveled ground to a thickness
of at least 2.5 cm and watering should be done. Then ground should be rolled. The
grass will shoot up in a fortnight. Lawn mower is used after three months.

3.7.2. Planting in Turf

3.7.2.1. Sodding
Sodding is the method of lawn establishment by using sod. Sod is grass that is
specially cultivated, mowed and cut into strips including about 1-2 inches of roots.
Establishing a lawn in this way provides an instant ground cover. Although it is the
most expensive method, thus it produces the most rapid results and least problematic.

3.7.2.2. Plugging
Plugging is a method of lawn establishment that involves the transplanting of small
pieces of sod which plugs into holes in the seedbed. The holes are spaced about 6-12
inches apart. Plugging is a labor intensive operation and takes time but it can be done
mechanically. After the operation, the plot may be rolled to provide good soil contact
with roots. This method of planting sod is sometimes called spot sodding.
Page 3 of 6
3.7.2.3. Sprigging
Pieces of short stems or runners are called sprigs which may also be used to establish
a lawn. This method of lawn establishment is called sprigging and accomplished by
placing the sprigs in shallow about 1-2 inches furrows at about 4-6 inches spacing.

3.7.2.4. Stolonizing
Stolonizing is a form of sprigging in which the recommended numbers of sprigs are
spread uniformly over the seedbed. Stolonizing is sometimes called broadcast
sprigging. After spreading, the sprigs are partially covered with soil by rolling. This
method is usually adopted for planting large areas.

4. Maintenance of Lawn and Turf

4.1. Proper Drainage and Aeration
A lawn has been walked over for a long period, the soil becomes compact, scanty of
air and impeding water infiltration. To increase aeration and drainage, cores of soil
may be removed using a plunger or core aerator. Raking should be done twice, once
before rain and other when rain is over, to avoid clogging of old roots and encourages
new shoots.

4.2. Manuring and Fertilization

Nitrogen is the most important plant nutrient for lawn. Cowdung should be applied
once a year while the ammonium sulphate, super phosphate and potassium sulphate
should be applied twice a year. Fertilizer should be applied when the lawn is dry and
sufficient irrigation is to be given after fertilizing.

4.3. Rolling
Uniform growth of the lawn can be achieved by rolling, which helps in touching the
nodes of the erect grasses to the ground level and spreading the grass uniformly. This
also keeps the area well leveled. At the beginning of rain, the first rolling is to be done
with a heavy roller and subsequent light rolling is also advised.

4.4. Mowing
1. Cutting of grass more than 1/3rd of the leaf area
2. Mowing stimulates bud development and tillering of grasses
3. Normal cutting height is 2.0-2.5 inches from the ground level
4. It should be done at 10-20 days intervals depending upon the growth of grass

Page 4 of 6
4.5. Clippings and Dethatching
Mulching mowers are used to cut the clippings into small pieces and they do not lie on
the lawn but fall to the ground. Clippings on the ground eventually decompose to
improve soil fertility. The undecomposed organic material can build up over a period.
This buildup of thatch hampered the lawn maintenance activities such as watering and
fertilizing. When thatch buildup becomes excessive, it must be reduced, in part
because insects and other pests thrive in thatch.

4.6. Edging
Edging is a cosmetic activity in which the edge of a lawn, especially next to a
walkway is trimmed in a straight line or smooth fashion by edging machines.

4.7. Irrigation
The soil should be soaked with water l5 cm deep during irrigation. Watering should be
done weekly twice in hot weather and, once in winter and no watering is required
during rainy season. During winter, dew should be brushed into the lawn so as to get
its full advantage. During summer, irrigation should be done either in the morning or
evening.

4.8. Liming
In acidic soil, application of lime after every 2-3 years is necessary. Clay soil requires
heavier application after every 5-6 years. The best time to apply lime is just before
the rains.

4.9. Weeding
This is one of the most important and continuous operations. Hand weeding can be the
most practical method to eradicate them.

4.10. Plant Protection Measures

Lawn grass should be kept free from any kind of infestation. Fortunately, grasses are
less affected by insect pests and diseases. However, general plant protection measures
should be taken properly.

Page 5 of 6
Fig. Laying sod Fig. Rolling newly laid sod Fig. Plugging method

Fig. An edger Fig. Thatch in a lawn Fig. Sprigging

Fig. Seeding by the crosswise method Fig. Texure of grasses

Fig. bunching and creeping type growth habit of grass

Page 6 of 6